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Friday, March 18, 2011

snake bite????

Man!! I need to get better at this blog thing. I swear-its way too far and in between that I get my posts in.

Well, this last month I had the privelege of visiting Triabetes Captain, Jenny Crandell and her family. It was a privilege to be invited to run with them at the Ragnar Del Sol in Phoneix Az. As we were leaving the parking lot after the start of the race, there was a nice big sign that said BEWARE of RATTLESNAKES....SWEET!!!!

Report:

Race start was cold, frosty and in the middle of Nowhere, AZ...Wickenburg, I think. It was great!! felt like I was in some cowboy flick. We were off to a great start with 20 roadkills from the first leg-our momentum was epic. For my first run, I couldn't have asked for better conditions. The weather warmed up, the sun was out, the shirt was off and man-it felt great to get some sun on the skin. My run brief but perfect.

Second run approx. same distance with a nice uphill for a good portion. Felt great-really enjoyed the cool crisp night air, but felt really spooky at times. At this point we were somewhat in the lead of the pack(We over estimated our team's pace by far and ended up starting a bit too early, which put us at the head of the pack for most of the race). As a result, at most of the exchanges we didn't see too many people, there weren't as many cars, and as we progressed our kills got fewer and fewer and so by my second run it was just me and the desert.

I had the privilege of accompanying a fellow teammate and first time "ragnarian" as she was leary of her second midnight desert running. Between the occasional coyote sightings and the ferocious havalinas, I didn't blame her. So I gladly accepted the invitation to run again. It was great- we joked a bit and were enjoying the night run and I quickly forgot any immediate threat that might be looming around the corner. As I wasn't paying too much attention, i wasn't aware of what was waiting for me in the distance, and within moments i instantly felt something grab onto my leg and peirce my skin. I panicked!! As I jumped I heard rattling noises come from my right side. I started to freak out which I'm sure made my running buddy panic even more. I started to settle down and with my little headlamp assessed what the issue was. Dang semi trailers and their wire laden wheels that are blown out and lay to bake on the side of the road. I had perfectly stepped into this coiled mess and felt wire pierce a small portion of my calf. I had heard the metal drag along the concrete which was a tad deceiving as it made a bit of a rattling noise as I dragged it along the road. Relieved it was nothing more than that, we continued on.

Third leg was perfect!! A tad sleep deprived, but felt great. Legs were fired up and ready to enjoy. As I started my longer of the three runs, the sun joined me over my left shoulder showing the gorgeous horizon of cactus, sage brush, and gorgeous snow peaked mtns in the distance.

Our run finished relatively early at noon in beautiful Tempe Park.
Many thanks to the Crandell family for allowing me to join in and be a part of such a great group.

5 comments:

  1. I've been hallucinating about getting bit by a rattler on May 7th

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  2. Does that happen to you too around mile 18 of any training runs?

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  3. Good one Dan! Hoping to talk some folks from the SE into a Ragnar event soon.

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  4. Dan we loved having you! It was a great Ragnar race for sure - rattlesnake bite and all. :)

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  5. i def wanna do a ragnar event. when is the washington one?

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